


i was busy dreaming bout boys

by colazitron



Series: skam fic trope week 2017 [4]
Category: SKAM (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, M/M, crushes and butterflies
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-19
Packaged: 2018-12-17 08:17:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11847600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/colazitron/pseuds/colazitron
Summary: Isak didn't really consider doing anything about the butterflies he got when he caught a glimpse of Mikael at Sana's until the party at SYNG.or: the one where instead of trying to hit Mikael, Isak tries hittingonhim.





	i was busy dreaming bout boys

**Author's Note:**

> **Disclaimer:** I am in no way affiliated with the characters depicted herein or their creators. I made all of this up inside my head and am sharing it purely for entertainment purposes.
> 
> I was gonna do something vaguely serious but then I thought of the hit/hit on thing and here we are.

Isak likes karaoke, actually. Noora knows this, because Eskild is a blabbermouth, and also because she's witnessed him singing along to his phone far too many times. Plus, there's that whole thing where Magnus and Vilde are actually dating now. So when the girls’ bus group puts on a party at SYNG, it's kind of obvious that they're expected to go, and given the way Noora’s eyes glint when Sana, as bus boss, officially invites them, Isak assumes he won't get through the evening without the girls dragging him on stage to sing, the boys probably pushing him from behind. His friends all delight far too much in him potentially embarrassing himself. Joke’s on them though, given that the whole school has seen him rap in one instagram video or another. He's a better singer than he is a rapper, too.

(In his darker moments, Isak thinks that it all has less to do with being shameless and more to do with the fact that bad rapping is a perfect distraction from anything one might want to distract from. Better a bad rapper than a boy who sings ‘gay songs’ too well.

Shit, Isak used to be so deep in the closet. He's kind of glad it seems almost unimaginable now, even if hasn't really been all that long yet, all things considered.)

“Maybe you'll find someone to hook up with too,” Vilde says from underneath Magnus’ arm around her shoulders, and it takes Isak a moment to realise she's talking to him.

“Me?” he asks dumbly, blinking at her.

“Yes, you, Isak. You haven't hooked up with anyone since you came out. You know, there are people saying you just did it to get Emma to leave you alone, or for the attention,” she relays.

For a brief moment, Isak wonders if this is the kind of thing Vilde talks about when she's alone with Magnus, and if so how he can stand it. But mostly-

“What the fuck? For the attention? You mean the attention where some guys refuse to change when I'm in the locker room? Or the attention where random girls try to set me up with ‘this one guy they know’ who they ‘swear is totally gay because he has such perfect hair’? That kind of attention?” he asks, a little more harshly than Vilde deserves, probably, since she's not the source of these rumours, merely the messenger.

He did do it a little to get Emma off his back. Pushing her off when she'd leaned in to kiss him at Vilde's kosegruppe’s neon pregame with an exasperated “I'm gay, so please leave me the fuck alone” sent that message loud and clear. He does feel a bit bad about leading her on, but he apologised for that, so as far as he's concerned Emma is a thing of the past.

But, attention? Really? Straight people are truly something else.

“I'm just telling you what people are saying,” Vilde defends herself. “You're my friend, and if it were me, I'd want to know.”

In a way, Isak supposes that's sweet. He's not sure how him grudgingly allowing Vilde to host two parties at the flatshare made her decide to befriend him, especially given that he only did it because Sana was glaring at him from behind Vilde's shoulder, but here they are.

“Be that as it may, Vilde, I don't give a shit what people are saying. I came out because I decided to not live my life according to how other people were talking about me, I'm not about to go back,” he says, consciously trying to relax his features. Magnus is already frowning at him for snapping at Vilde and Isak is so not in the mood.

“Plus, there aren't magically going to be any cute boys at our school just because you invited them to karaoke,” he tacks on with a worthy attempt at a grin.

It's meant to be a joke, but Vilde frowns like she concedes his point.

“Sana, you should invite your brother and his friends,” she then turns to Sana to suggest.

“What is your fixation with setting people up with my brother and his friends?” Sana asks, exasperated. “I don't even know if any of them are into boys!”

“Oh,” Vilde says, like she hasn't considered this. Isak can't quite believe this is actually happening. Is Vilde actually trying to set him up with someone?

“They are very good-looking though,” Vilde turns to Isak to say. “We met them at the gym once.”

It's true. Isak has met them too, even if it was at Sana's, and not the gym. Elias' friends are as good-looking as they are goofy, and Isak's belly does a little swoop at the thought of seeing one of them in particular outside of the Bakkoush's flat, where all they've ever done is a light bit of small talk. Isak never really considered doing anything about the butterflies Mikael's swoopy hair and pretty face and open laughter give him. He figures he just has a type. Mikael's occasional anti-society comments do remind him a bit of Jonas. If Isak engages in the odd bit of staring when he's over at Sana's to study, that's genuinely all it is.

But, well. He also never really entertained the thought of seeing him in a setting where Isak could establish himself as a person, not just Sana's hanger-on, and maybe try to find out if there's any chance Mikael swings his way at all.

And he hasn't even ever seen him at the gym, but thanks, Vilde, for adding abs to Isak's occasional daydreams about Mikael's pretty face.

Sana looks absolutely mortified at the suggestion of bringing her brother and his friends along though, while Jonas grins, and Mahdi laughs freely.

“Is that why you joined a gym, Isak?” Mahdi teases.

Vilde stares at Isak a little scandalised, and Isak throws his balled up napkin at Mahdi, hoping to god his blush isn't visible.

“I didn't even join a gym, you asshole,” he protests. Did he not literally just say that the assumption he can't keep his eyes to himself in a locker room setting is fucked up?

“But you do work out, right? You look good,” Vilde chimes in, like she's trying to pacify him. “You know Chris used to have a crush on you.”

Isak rolls his eyes and grins when he catches Jonas' gaze.

“Yeah, I know,” he says.

“She wasn't exactly subtle, Vilde,” Noora points out.

“I'm just saying, Isak's not bad-looking, he shouldn't have any problems finding a guy to hook up with.”

“Vilde. I'm not going to hook up with anyone because you or anyone else wants me to,” he says with a sigh. “We're going to come to your karaoke party, Sana's not going to bother her brother, and we'll all have a nice time, hooking up or not.”

It's probably only the fact he insinuated he doesn't hate the thought of her party that makes Vilde actually drop the topic. Isak will take what he can.

 

On Friday, it turns out that against Isak's expectations, Sana does seem to have invited Elias and his friends.

“Well, looks like Sana brought some eye candy for Isak after all,” Mahdi teases, jabbing his elbow into Isak's side while they all watch Elias pull Sana into the kind of hug Isak has seen Jonas give his little sister countless times. The I'm-going-to-embarrass-you-in-front-of-your-friends hug.

“Kindly shut up,” Isak retorts and turns away from Sana and the boys. Mikael does look good though.

“No, but, like. I've been thinking,” Magnus pipes up. “Should we be going to gay bars or something? Doesn't seem fair that Isak never gets to hook up with anyone.”

“Not sure I want to go to the kind of gay bars that let seventeen year old boys in,” Isak says.

Magnus pouts a little.

“I just feel bad for you, bro,” he says.

“You started sleeping with Vilde three months ago,” Isak points out.

“Yeah, but I _did_ start sleeping with her,” Magnus says. “You're the last one of us now to--”

“It took you seventeen years to find a girl,” Isak cuts in. “I've been out six months. Just… chill, alright? I'm good.”

Magnus looks a bit like he doesn't quite believe him, but he does drop the subject. Vilde comes over to talk Magnus into a duet only a few moments later, and the topic of Sana's brother and his friends thankfully falls to the wayside of the general party atmosphere.

Eventually, Isak gets roped into a duet with Eva, who giggles the whole time she's pulling him up to the little stage area, so Isak imagines it's going to be something incredibly embarrassing. He catches Jonas' eye in the crowd and shares a commiserating eye roll before the music starts up and he recognises Elton John's “Don't Go Breaking My Heart” duet with Kiki Dee. He can't help his own laugh as Eva grins at him proudly. Honestly, leave it to her.

Eva's brand of shameless makes it easy to fall into a rhythm with her at least, exaggeratedly warbling out the lines he remembers and laughing when either of them mess up. Somehow, no one stops them halfway through the song to drag them off the stage and make them stop. Instead, there's laughter and cheering when they're done, Eva taking a showy bow, and pushing at the back of his neck to make him do the same. When he comes up, he catches sight of Sana, stood with Adam and Mikael. All three of them are grinning and clapping politely, and Isak's belly swoops with a surge of butterflies.

He lets Eva tug him back into the crowd, but doesn't try to hold on to her when she gets stuck talking to someone. Instead he makes his way past more people, trying to make himself believe he's just saying hello to a friend, definitely not trying to find a way to maybe attach himself to a pretty boy's side for a bit.

Sana smiles at him when she sees him make his way over, looking more relaxed than Isak can remember having seen her before. He smiles back automatically, and nods at the two boys in greeting when he reaches them.

“Hey, Sana,” he says.

“Isak,” she greets him back. “Having a good time?”

He laughs a little.

“Yeah. Eva's quite convincing. Sorry for any damage that might have been done to your ears,” he says, glancing to Mikael and Adam as well.

“Nah, mate, you were hilarious,” Adam says, offering Isak his hand for a relaxed kind of handshake. “Quite good too, actually.”

“Yeah, Isak, you've been holding out on us,” Mikael says, and slings an arm around Isak's shoulders to good-naturedly give him a little bro-y pat-on-the-back kind of hug. It's not Isak's fault that it brings Mikael close enough for him get a whiff of how good he smells.

“What am I going to do when I'm over to study with Sana? Sing about morphological differences in sister species?”

“You did try to make up an anatomy rap that one time,” Sana pipes up, because she's a backstabbing traitor just like everyone else, apparently. Isak expected this from his other friends, but Sana? Is nothing sacred anymore?

“No, I didn't,” he says, far too quickly.

“I have video evidence,” Sana says, smirk growing.

“Oh, I need to see that,” Mikael says, laughing a bit.

“You really don't, I promise I'm terrible,” Isak says, trying for his own laugh. “And not even in an entertaining way. Just a really sad way.”

“Aw,” Mikael coos. “Don't be sad. I'm sure you have other talents, Isak.”

Isak briefly entertains the notion of making a mention of some of the talents in his repertoire he hopes to expand on.

“You're one to talk,” Adam chimes in then. “Remember that animation project with the pig in a top hat you did in second year?”

Mikael flushes a little.

“Dude, way to bring up my dark past. Anyway, it's not as bad as Even's stop-motion about Captain America and Vladimir Putin falling in love.”

“What?” Isak asks, laugh startled out of him.

“Sarah Palin cursed them so every time they'd kiss a kitten died. Our second year projects were absurd,” Mikael says.

Isak shrugs. It sounds kind of amazing, actually. “I'm kind of intrigued by the pig in the top hat. Why was he so fancy? Where was he going? Did he end up bacon?”

“Well, you're never gonna know; I took it offline,” Mikael says with a grin. “I might trade you for that anatomy rap video though.”

“You drive a hard bargain,” Isak says. “I'll have to think about it.”

Mikael laughs.

“You can just watch my newer stuff. Even and I are gonna start a youtube channel together,” he says.

“If an elephant in a tutu doesn't fall in love with Batman, I'm not interested,” Isak quips, making Mikael laugh again.

“If Even gets his way, that might actually happen,” he says with the sort of fond eye roll one reserves for best friends one is too used to disagreeing with to actually care all that much. “He's seriously into all that colourful, style-over-substance Baz Luhrman shit.”

“I take it you're not?” Isak asks, idly noting that Adam and Sana seem to have left them, and trying to keep Mikael talking so he won't go off in search of them.

“Not at all, no. I like things that are a bit grittier, you know? Real. Not this epic love overhyped drama stuff,” Mikael says.

“Yeah,” Isak says. He really liked Rogue One, but somehow he doesn't think that's what Mikael's talking about. “I get that.”

“I just want to make people think about the world. Even is all about the escapism and maybe there's a meaning in there somewhere too, but no one's ever going to see if with all the music and costumes dazzling them into stupidity.”

“Are you badmouthing Baz Luhrman again?” Even suddenly pipes up behind Isak, and Isak actually flinches before he whirls around to look at him and then takes a step to the side (and closer to Mikael) to allow Even to join them.

“It's not badmouthing if it's true,” Mikael grins, and Even only laughs in response.

“You're late,” Mikael follows it up, and gestures at Isak. “You missed this one's rousing performance of an Elton John classic.”

Isak feels his toes curl, even if it's not a proper compliment. Whatever reason he has, Mikael still thought it worthy of being pointed out to Even.

“Well, that's disappointing,” Even says, eyes twinkling as he looks down at Isak.

Even is… really tall. Isak is so used to being at least a little taller than all his friends that standing with Even always makes him feel a little off kilter.

“Maybe you can coax him into a repeat,” Mikael suggests, and Even shoots him a look that Isak can't decipher. He's probably not the public singing type.

“I think I've insulted everyone's aural sensibilities for a night,” Isak drawls, and Even laughs.

“Maybe Even'll consider it payment for seeing the Captain America short,” Mikael wheedles, and Isak laughs, even as he sees the tips of Even's ears go a little red.

Even looks down at him laughing, and Isak tries his best to sweeten his smile into something that makes it clear he's not laughing _at_ Even.

“That was a masterpiece the world wasn't ready for, and if Isak wants he can see it free of charge,” Even says.

There's a momentary lull in the conversation, and Mikael takes a step back.

“I'm going to go fetch myself a drink; you two stay right here,” he says, and turns around to shoulder his way into the crowd without another word.

Isak looks after him for maybe just a second too long. When he turns back around to Even, his smile has dimmed and he looks a little uncertain.

“I, um, I don't want to overstep or anything, but Mikael-- he's not--” he says, and something in the embarrassment Isak can feel flood his body must show on his face, because Even bites his lip and doesn't finish the sentence.

“Yeah,” Isak says and clears his throat, shifting his weight on his feet a little. “Thank you.”

Even laughs, an uncomfortable sound that makes Isak duck his head and wish he could just leave the way Mikael had.

“Hey, sorry. I shouldn't have been so blunt. I just thought you should know,” Even says, quietly.

Isak nods, but doesn't look up.

“It's okay. Thank you; really. It's not… anything. Just that I think he's pretty hot,” he says, face feeling at least just as hot.

Even chuckles a little, and Isak glances up at him from underneath his lashes at the unexpected sound.

“Yeah, he is. I used to have a crush on him too,” Even confesses.

Isak's smiling before he knows it.

“What a cliché, eh? The crush on the best friend? Been there too,” he offers in return.

Even studies him for a moment, eyes flitting over the features of Isak's face, and then he smiles and claps a hand on Isak's shoulders, fingers brushing the bare skin at the base of his neck, just inside the collar of his t-shirt.

“Well, aren't we a pair. Let me buy you a drink and we can commiserate about the evils of straight boys,” he suggests.

Isak laughs, and feels most of the tension fall of his shoulders.

“Yeah, okay,” he says. “Sure. Why not.”

Even beams, and lets his hand slip down Isak's spine, pushing him through the crowd with the tips of his fingers pressed into the small of Isak's back. Isak's heart rate picks up a little and he deliberately sidesteps someone in a way that makes Even bump into his back. He's a solid, long presence behind him, and he puts his other hand on Isak's hip – to steady himself, to steady Isak. Maybe just to touch.

Well, then. Maybe Vilde really wasn't so far off with her suggestion.

 

**The End**


End file.
